Ovation buys The Halcyon, X Company

US cable net Ovation has bought two Sony-distributed period dramas: The Halcyon and X Company.

Arts-skewed channel Ovation will launch both series in the US. The Halcyon is set in a London hotel during World War II and is produced by Sony-backed Left Bank and aired on ITV in the UK.

X Company is produced by Canada’s Temple Street and follows a group of young spies during World War II.

Both series are distributed by Sony Pictures International. The Halcyon will go out as part of Ovation’s fall schedule. X Company is set for 1Q18.

“World War II has provided a chilling and dramatic backdrop for many movies and TV series over the years, but we found that each of these series use the historical touch points of this era to enrich some very unique and engaging character studies and plot lines,” said Scott Woodward, executive VP of programming and production, Ovation.

“Both The Halcyon and X Company have first-rate production values and top-notch performances by their ensemble casts. Ovation has had great success with this type of ‘event’ programming and we anticipate that our viewers will find new favourites to obsess over when these series debut later this year and next.”

The Halcyon was cancelled despite scoring reasonable ratings on ITV.